The world of politics is one of give and take. "You scratch
my back, and I'll scratch yours."

And it's eye for an eye. "If you don't help me, I won't help
you."

Politicians know these rules, and success tends to find
those who play the game best. It's how bills get passed; how business gets done
- from the small-town mayor to the president of the United States.

They play the game with other politicians. They play it with
lobbyists. And, yes, they play it with voters.

The way to get your voice heard and your agenda in front of
the most powerful man in the world is not always by showing undying support. Sometimes,
it's by demonstrating you're willing to vote for the other guy, which is why
swing states get all the attention during election season.

But in Alabama, either we stink at the game, or we don't play
it at all.

With Alabama expected
to vote overwhelmingly for Romney and running mate Paul Ryan on Nov. 6, state
GOP officials are paying to send several busloads of Alabama Republicans to the
"battleground" states that will decide the election.

That's right; we're helping someone else get their back
scratched.

We're not exactly ignored when it comes to federal
assistance. Alabama ranks 11th in the country, receiving $11,819 per
person annually, according to a July al.com report on Census Bureau figures. But
that's not the same has having the weight of the Oval Office in your corner -
especially when we're facing looming concerns like sequestration, future BRACs,
budget shortages, etc.

And it's easier to get the president's support if he's
concerned about losing yours.

Alabama, however, is not just red - we're burgundy. And
because of it, we're all but ignored year after year and election cycle after
election cycle by the presidential nominees, whether they are Republican or
Democrat.

At no time is a politician more in need and willing to show
it than when he/she is running for office. They crank up the smiles, press
palms, kiss babies and ask for votes. So if they will ignore us when they need us
the most, then how can we expect to have their attention after the election when
they don't need us at all.

When was the last time a presidential candidate - Republican
or Democrat - came to Alabama during the general election campaign - during that
critical opportunity when a candidate is willing to make on-the-record
assurances that he will address your concerns?

How different do you think it would be if Alabama had voted for
a Democratic presidential candidate just once or twice since 1976? What if we
were in play?

Our track record says to Democrats, "Why try?" And it says
to Republicans, "No need to try." But what happens when we itch in a spot we
can't scratch?

Every state is red or blue, and there's nothing wrong with
being a Republican-leaning state. I'm proud of our conservative values, and we
should never vote anything other than our convictions.

But as it stands, it's no mystery that Alabama is going to
vote Republican on Nov. 6. So, if Romney wins, let's hope he remembers Alabama's
trips to the battleground states, and not his trip to the Deep South during the primaries.

That was way back during the March primaries when Gov.
Romney wasn't conservative enough for Alabama. We voted for Rick Santorum.